Thirty-six officers from the Tucson, Arizona, Police Department are in Pittsburgh as part of the G-20 security force. They were asked to assist by Pittsburgh officials as part of a Department of Homeland Security rapid response team.

Officers from departments in several cities, including Cleveland, Ohio; Miami Metro Dade, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; and Chicago, Illinois, were sworn in as part of the massive security effort, but Tucson wins the prize for the greatest distance traveled. Watch how Pittsburgh has prepared for protests »

"There's a standardization in training," Tucson Lt. Paul Sayre said. Departments brought in to assist have undergone similar preparations in techniques and crowd control.

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The Arizona officers were asked to come to Pittsburgh after taking part in the protection effort at the Republican National Convention in 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The downtown Pittsburgh street on a morning with temperatures in the 50s was nothing like a typical day for the officers. "It's a different environment," Sayre said -- but the job was the same. "We're excited to be here. It's a lot of fun."

"Our role is to support Pittsburgh," said Capt. Perry Tarrant, commanding the Tucson team.

The additional help protecting downtown locations "gives Pittsburgh the flexibility to send its officers where needed," Sayre said.